Puma Selects Nick Kang, Virtual Star Of Activision's True Crime™: Streets Of L.A.™, To Model 2004 Collection At The Game's Launch Party On November 4
Santa Monica, CA - November 3, 2003 - Video games are taking to the runway when Nick Kang, the virtual star of Activision Inc.'s (Nasdaq: ATVI) highly anticipated holiday title, True Crime™: Streets of L.A.™, debuts selections from PUMA's spring 2004 collection at the game's launch party. As the first video game character turned fashion model, Kang will unveil new PUMA apparel and footwear including the Antitaste and Motorsport collections.
Additionally, as part of PUMA's relationship with Activision, the company has also "outfitted" various characters in True Crime: Streets of L.A., including Nick Kang, with its latest fall 2003 collections. Selections from the fall apparel and footwear line will be featured on Kang and other non-player game characters.
"We knew True Crime: Streets of L.A. was going to be a massive hit," said Barney Waters, Director of Marketing, PUMA North America. "Video gaming has such a diverse appeal, it's a new medium for PUMA to utilize to interact with our consumers and Nick Kang looks great in our gear."
True Crime: Streets of L.A. features an all-star voice cast of top Hollywood talent including Christopher Walken, Gary Oldman, Michael Madsen, Russell Wong, Michelle Rodriguez, Ron Perlman, CCH Pounder, James Hong, Mako, Keone Young and Snoop Dogg, the "Dogg Father" of hip-hop, who is also an unlockable, playable character in the video game. When players unlock Snoop's character in "Dogg Patrol" mode, they can play as him and roll through the streets in a custom convertible, complete with hydraulics, while looking for random crimes to solve and criminals to take down.
True Crime: Streets of L.A. will be supported by a soundtrack Produced by Vybe Squad Records that will debut more than 20 original music tracks performed by such renowned West Coast rap artists as Snoop Dogg, Westside Connection (Ice Cube, Mac 10 and WC), Warren G, KAM, Jayo Felony, Boo Yaa Tribe, Easy-E Jr., among others
In True Crime: Streets of L.A., players assume the role of rogue Elite Operations Division operative Nick Kang, a badass ex-cop, whose brutal reputation and lethal skills have landed him the nasty task of taking down the Chinese Triad and Russian Mafia cartel that has turned the City of Angels into a war zone. Players take part in explosive gun battles with double fisted firepower, devastating martial arts brawls, and high-speed shootouts across 240 square miles of L.A., which has been accurately recreated digitally. The game's unique branching missions include locating hostile witnesses, infiltrating criminal-invested locations, taking out evasive informants and busting the heavily armed and deadly bad guys.
The game was developed for Activision by Luxoflux and will be available for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox® video game system from Microsoft and the Nintendo GameCube™ and has been rated "M" ("Mature" - Blood and Gore, Mature Sexual Themes, Strong Language and Violence) by the ESRB.
Scheduled to begin shipping to retail outlets on November 3, 2003, True Crime: Streets of LA will be available at PUMA concept stores nationwide.
About PUMA
PUMA® is the global athletic brand that successfully fuses influences from sport, lifestyle and fashion. PUMA's unique industry perspective delivers the unexpected in sportlifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories, through technical innovation and revolutionary design. Established in Herzogenaurach, Germany in 1948, PUMA distributes products in over 80 countries. For further information please visit www.puma.com.
About Activision
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $864 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003.
Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Australia, Scandinavia and the Netherlands. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com and www.truecrimela.com.